The invention pertains to insulated coolers for food and the like for use with recreational vehicles, and particularly pertains to the construction of the cooler receptacle body.
Portable food coolers conventionally include a chamber surrounded by thermal insulation having an access opening or cover, and such coolers presently take many shapes and configurations, the thermal insulation consisting of fiberglas, vacuum chambers or foam layers usually utilizing closed cells formed of a urethane material. It is known to build coolers of such conventional construction into the counters and cabinets of recreational vehicles, such coolers employing block ice, or refrigeration systems, to maintain the cooler at a food preserving temperature. However, with tent trailers and similar low vertical profile recreational vehicles such built-in coolers must necessarily be limited in vertical height, and due to vehicle configurations, such as wheel wells, the vehicle interior space for built-in coolers is usually limited.
Refrigerators and coolers are known wherein the cooler includes separate compartments for ice and the food being preserved, and multi-layer and compartmented refrigerators and coolers are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,447,733; 3,505,830 and 3,605,431. However, multi-level coolers have not been previously utilized in recreational vehicles, nor have the advantages of such coolers been appreciated when employed in recreational vehicles.
It is an object of the invention to provide a cooler for recreational vehicle use wherein the cooler incorporates a multi-level construction permitting separation of block ice and/or an evaporator from the food being preserved.
A further object of the invention is to provide a recreational vehicle cooler utilizing a multi-level construction wherein a partition separating the cooler levels is employed to prevent block ice from resting upon the refrigerated food and interfering with access thereto.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a compartmented cooler for recreational vehicle use wherein a refrigerator evaporator and block ice may simultaneously occupy a compartment separate from the food being cooled.
A further object of the invention is to provide a multi-level cooler wherein the receptacle thereof is formed of a homogeneous sheet of synthetic plastic material, and wherein the material defines grooves for receiving a wire grid partition to separate cooler compartments.
In the practice of the invention a homogeneous synthetic plastic material is utilized to form a receptacle having one floor portion at a significantly higher vertical elevation than the other floor portion. The higher floor portion is utilized to support block ice and/or define a chamber in which a refrigeration circuit evaporator is located, and a partition separates the upper and lower cooler levels to prevent intermixing of the block ice with the food being cooled. As the food is located at a vertical elevation below the ice, the food is exposed to the lowest temperatures within the cooler, and the construction of a cooler in accord with the invention permits efficient cooling.
The cooler construction is such that clearance is provided below the receptacle's upper bottom portion, and such clearance permits the cooler to be mounted in low profile recreational vehicles wherein a wheel well may be located in the clearance provided by the cooler construction. Also, this construction permits a compressor or other refrigeration circuit components to be located exteriorally of the cooler chamber without adding to the overall plan dimensions of the cooler.
A wire grid partition exists between the cooler compartments, and this petition is mounted within spaced parallel grooves defined within the receptacle side walls, such grooves being formed by elongated ridges homogeneously defined by the receptacle material.